Bicycling has long been known to have numerous health benefits, from improving cardiovascular health to boosting mental well-being. Now, a new study suggests that regular bicycling may also reduce the risk of developing dementia in older adults.
A team of researchers from China and Australia, including geriatricians, neurologists, nutritionists, and public health specialists, conducted a study using data from the UK Biobank to investigate the relationship between transportation modes and dementia risk. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, followed nearly 480,000 individuals with an average age of 56.5 years over a 13-year period.
The researchers found that individuals who regularly rode a bicycle for transportation had lower rates of dementia compared to those who walked, drove, or took the bus. This association held true for all three types of dementia included in the study—Alzheimer’s, young-onset, and late-onset dementia. Additionally, those who primarily used bicycles for travel retained more hippocampal volume, a key brain region associated with memory and spatial navigation.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that individuals without the APOE ε4 gene variant, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, experienced even greater benefits from bicycling. While those with the gene variant still saw some benefits, they were not as pronounced as those without the variant.
The findings suggest that bicycling, as a form of active travel, may offer unique cognitive benefits for older adults by combining physical exercise with spatial navigation. The researchers believe that the combination of physical activity and mental stimulation inherent in bicycling may contribute to its protective effects against dementia.
This study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the importance of regular physical activity in maintaining brain health and reducing the risk of cognitive decline. As the global population continues to age, promoting activities like bicycling as a means of transportation could have significant public health implications for dementia prevention.
In conclusion, the study underscores the potential benefits of incorporating bicycling into daily routines, especially for older adults looking to maintain cognitive function and brain health. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms behind the protective effects of bicycling on dementia risk, but in the meantime, hopping on a bike for your next errand might just be one of the best things you can do for your brain.
This article was written by Bob Yirka, edited by Lisa Lock, and fact-checked by Robert Egan. For more information, you can access the original study published in JAMA Network Open.
